As part of the Red North Stations Interim Improvements Project, which rehabilitated seven of the oldest stations in the system, we’re further enhancing the travel experience for Red Line riders with the addition of new public art at these stations, which serve as gateways to some of the most ethnically diverse communities in the city:
The addition of original artwork adds value not only to our stations and the neighborhoods they serve, but it also enhances to the overall transit experience for our riders by promoting a friendly and inviting atmosphere.
Installation of the new pieces of art is scheduled to begin this fall with all work complete by the end of the year. These new pieces will be permanently on display and will expand CTA’s public art collection that already has more than 50 works of art at 41 stations along the Pink, Red and Brown lines.
On this page:
Station Art Details
Artist: Tom Denlinger
Title: A Neighborhood Piazza
Artist Concept: Artist Tom Denlinger’s artwork design pays tribute to the beauty of the built and natural environments of Rogers Park – jostling architectural styles, light dancing across the lake, the rustling canopy of trees, and the community’s richly textured social fabric. The artist says, “Starting at the intersection of Jarvis and Greenview and moving outward, I photographed the spaces between homes and residential buildings. I then composed these images into a grid to create a lacework of alleys and intersections. The image simultaneously reveals the space of difference in order to celebrate the vibrant diversity of Rogers Park.”
Tom Denlinger’s digital photographs will be translated into panels of glass using a variety of image- transfer and screen-printing techniques.
About the Artist: Tom Denlinger is a Chicago-based fine art photographer. He earned a Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute and since 1976, has exhibited in museums, contemporary art centers, galleries and publications in the U.S., Europe and Japan. His artwork is in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the City of Chicago Public Art Collection (Edgebrook Branch Public Library); Telos-Rome, Italy; and DePaul University. He is the recipient of four awards from the Illinois Arts Council including the Governor’s International Exchange Award, the Artadia Foundation Award, and faculty research grants from Lake Forest College and Earlham College for study in Kyoto, Japan.
Artist: Harold Mendez
Title: Towards the nature of the light
Artist Concept: With his conceptual design, artist Harold Mendez celebrates the transitions of the day. The photographic images, taken with a pinhole camera to capture a moment in the day, will be translated into art glass to reflect a warm mood. The artist states, “The interplay of light and shadow, warmth and welcoming environment act as an entry point for Rogers Park commuters to experience the neighborhood, its tree lined streets, vibrant music scene and Lake Michigan.”
Harold Mendez’s design will be translated into architectural glass using a series of image transfer techniques to achieve subtle effects of layered color and light.
About the Artist: Harold Mendez is a multidisciplinary artist based in Chicago. He received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois-Chicago, a BFA from Columbia College, and studied at the School of Art and Design, Ghana, West Africa. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art / PS1, New York; the Studio Museum of Harlem, NY; the Renaissance Society, Chicago; and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. He is the recipient of two Illinois Arts Council grants, four City of Chicago CAAP grants, and the 3Arts Award.
Artist: Kyungmi Shin
Title: Granville Avenue Buildings
Artist Concept: Using color and whimsy, artist Kyungmi Shin’s design is a lively group portrait of buildings found along Granville Avenue. Of her proposal she says, “The design was inspired by my photo collage work – cutout shapes of architecture to create a dense sculptural collage. The overall approach was inspired by the rich architectural heritage of the Chicago region. The sweeping colorful paths behind the buildings represent Chicago’s iconic “wind” as well as the fast growing dynamics of the Edgewater neighborhood.”
Kyungmi Shin’s design concept will be fabricated of glass tile into a Byzantine-style mosaic.
About the Artist: Kyungmi Shin resides in Los Angeles, CA and maintains a studio in Ghana, West Africa. She studied medicine at Kyungbook National University in Korea before immigrating to the United States where she studied painting at San Francisco Art Institute, and received a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture and Installation from University of California-Berkeley, in 1995. Ms. Shin has received numerous commissions for public artworks including a City of Los Angeles fire station and a light rail station in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2000, she has exhibited her work in art centers, university and commercial galleries in California, New York, Texas, South Korea and the Netherlands.
Artist: Jim Bachor
Title: Thrive
Artist Concept: Jim Bachor’s conceptual design references three themes of the Thorndale community: the area’s history, recreation and education options. The design includes water-bands on the base of the columns to indicate Lake Michigan and the wild rice grown by Native American inhabitants. On the column faces meandering vines sprout the ‘fruits’ that make the community unique: history is represented by trains, tractors, trolleys and the Edgewater Beach Hotel; recreation is celebrated with beach gear and sporting goods; and the theme of education is illustrated with the image of a microscope and an owl, symbolizing wisdom.
Jim Bachor’s design concept will be fabricated into a mosaic of ceramic and glass tile and installed within a background of white and blue ceramic tile covering the architectural arches.
About the Artist: Jim Bachor is a Chicago artist specializing in mosaics. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI, and has worked as an associate creative director at DraftFCB in Chicago. In 2001, Mr. Bachor participated in an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Pompeii, Italy, during which he was inspired by mosaics that had been buried 1,900 years ago. Since 2002, Mr. Bachor has exhibited his own ancient-technique mosaic artworks in group and juried shows in Chicago, New York and Washington, DC. His artwork has twice been selected as the “Juror’s Choice” by the Society of Mosaic Artists.
Artist: Dorothy Hughes
Title: Roots with Diversity
Artist Concept: Artist Dorothy Hughes says, “ The artwork brings together abstraction with some realism. The foliage, trees and lake will bring the environment in and the architectural elements will reflect the neighborhood. Overall this combination will leave space for the viewer’s imagination to factor in.”
Dorothy Hughes will translate her conceptual design into a hand-crafted artwork by shaping clay into tiles that will be painted, high-fired in a kiln and assembled into a grid, depicting the artist’s interpretation of the natural and built environments of the Berwyn station community.
About the Artist: Dorothy Hughes is a Chicago artist specializing in the ceramic and fiber arts. Educated at Cranbrook Academy of Art and the University of Illinois, Ms. Hughes has exhibited in over 50 museum and gallery exhibitions since 1970. Her artwork is in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Knoll International, Inc. She was commissioned by the State of Illinois for public artwork for the campuses of the University of Illinois at Champaign and Chicago. Ms. Hughes is the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council.
Artist: Lynn Basa
Title: Cornucopia
Artist Concept: Artist Lynn Basa states, “The artwork reflects the Argyle neighborhood where cultures mix in a melting pot of cuisines, art, music and color. The art is about joyful abundance and harmony. I think of each of these flower forms as unique individuals, each with their own distinctive personalities, moving through the Argyle station on their way to someplace else.”
Lynn Basa’s conceptual proposal will be fabricated into an artwork of Byzantine-style mosaic.
About the Artist: Lynn Basa received a Master of Public Administration / Public Art Policy from the University of Washington and a BFA from Indiana University. Ms. Basa has completed 15+ public art commissions throughout the United States including the Indianapolis International Airport, the State of Washington, City of Seattle, City of Claremont-CA, City of Glendale-AZ, Seattle University School of Law, and Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA. Her artwork has been exhibited in museums, art centers and galleries nationally and is housed in 25 corporate collections and six museums including Tacoma Art Museum, Iowa State University, Rhode Island School of Design; Museum of Arts and Design-NYC.
Artist: DeeDee Morrison
Title: Parallel Frames of Reference
Artist Concept: The proposed artwork is comprised of architectural relief sculptures which interpret the vocabulary and history of the Uptown Theater District of the 1920s. In her proposal, artist Dee Dee Morrison states, “The audience will visually engage with the essence of Moorish and Mediterranean 16th and 17th century architectural designs; reinterpreted, synthesized and with an updated aesthetic principle.”
The artwork will be fabricated of multi-colored anodized aluminum panels, water-jet cut into shapes that capture light and reflect a variety of patterns.
About the Artist: DeeDee Morrison is a nationally-recognized sculptor residing in Birmingham, Alabama. She has worked as a public artist for 12 years, producing large-scale sculpture installations throughout the United States and in Russia. Ms. Morrison is a leader in the use of sustainable materials in her artworks, including the renewable energy technologies of solar-powered and LED lighting. She has received commissions for public libraries in Fairhope and Daphne, AL and outdoor monuments for the City of Oklahoma City, OK, the City of Shreveport, LA, and most recently, the City of Boston.
Artist selection process
In September 2012, CTA issued a Request for Proposals seeking local, national and international artists to submit their qualifications for consideration to create public artwork for one of the seven stations. The bid process is now closed and submissions are no longer being accepted.
Nearly 300 artists/artist teams submitted their credentials and qualifications for consideration. An evaluation committee reviewed these submissions in consideration of artistic merit, qualifications and professional recognition of the artists, and the artist’s written statement of interest. From this process, 31 artists were invited to submit an artwork proposal for a specific station. 25 artwork proposals were received and evaluated in consideration of quality and originality, appropriateness for the site including safety, connection to the community and durability of materials and fabrication processes, and ease of maintenance. 14 artwork proposals were selected as semi-finalists for review by an executive selection committee which selected 7 finalists, one artwork per station of the Red Line North. On June 12, 2013, the CTA Board approved 7 artists for contract awards.
Community meetings & input
In Fall 2012, CTA held three meetings to solicit input from the communities neighboring the seven stations. Community members and transit users were also able to submit additional input to CTA via email throughout the artist selection process.
Input received from the community regarding each location was provided to the respective artists for their consideration when developing their proposals.
Resources and other Info
Press releases
09/13/2012: CTA Seeks Artists for North Red Line Stations
10/19/2012: CTA to Host Community Meeting for Input on Red North Station Art
06/18/2013: CTA Announces Artwork Plans for Red Line South Stations
How is this art funded?
Federal Formula Funds provided by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) were used to pay for the total project budget for all seven stations. The total project budget is nearly $621,000 and includes all costs including artist fees, fabrication, shipping/delivery, installation, administrative fees and a project contingency fund.
Use of these funds for the overall project also requires that certain enhancement activities, such as the installation of art, be incorporated into the project plan. These types of enhancements make public transit facilities a greater asset to the community they serve and improve people's experiences using transit.
The funding for these improvements cannot be used for other purposes